Topsail – September 28, 2017
Chris, of East Coast Sports, reports that in the surf, good numbers of bluefish and red drum have been caught, with the reds mostly falling for cut finger mullet. There’s also been a strong pompano bite.
Despite the time of year, spot fishing is slow due to the water being a bit too warm. Cooler temperatures and an east wind should bring the fish in soon.
On the sound side, flounder fishing has been picking up. Slot redfish action is steady, and a few big sheepshead have been caught on sand fleas.
False albacore fishing is fantastic right now, with most of the fish caught by casting lures like Big Nik’s Spanish Candies or Hogy Epoxy jigs. Trolling has also been finding fish, with Yo-Zuri Deep Divers and Clarkspoons as the top producers.
Spanish fishing has been great right off the beach, too, and they’re biting on the same offerings used for the false albacore.
While king fishing has slowed a bit, they’re still hitting Mackahoos, cigar minnows, and dink ballyhoo. Try trolling anywhere from 8-15 miles.
Out at the Gulf Stream, the wahoo continue to bite strong, and mahi can be found around the 20 mile range.
Beeliners are on fire starting at 25 miles out, where dropping some squid will be your best bet. There has also been a decent grouper bite in the same range.
Roy Rauert, of Hampstead, NC, with an African pompano that ate a cigar minnow. He was fishing 35 miles out of Topsail in 110′ of water.
Mike, of Native Son, reports that drum fishing has been great now that the fish are tightening up into smaller schools. They can be found in the backs of creeks during higher tide stages. Jerk shads and subsurface baits have been working better than Skitterwalks and Top Pups.
The trout bite has slacked in the past week, but bait is pushing in strong. Most of the keeper trout that are biting have been caught on MR17s and Z-Man soft plastics.
The flounder bite has been steady thanks to an influx of mullet into the area, and the flatfish can be found around ambush points. If you find bait, the flounder will be nearby.
While the spanish have thinned out, there should be another big push soon, with the bigger, fall fish starting to show up. The best nearshore action right now are the false albacore that have been passing through.
Chadwick, of South End Anglers, reports that red drum fishing has picked up over the past week, thanks to larger numbers of mullet and shrimp on the shoreline. Live bait on a Carolina rig or under a popping cork is working best. During dawn and dusk, MirrOlure Poppa Mullets and Rapala Skitterwalks have been fooling fish on the surface. Then Fathom Inshore jigs and Diezel MinnowZ are working throughout the day.
Flounder fishing remains hit or miss. While fish are definitely being caught, the big ones have been few and far between.
Speckled trout fishing is continuing to improve, with most of the fish still biting at night and in the early mornings. Cooler water is the ticket for the specks.
False albacore are showing up in larger numbers along the beach, and they (along with some spanish and blues around New Topsail Inlet) are surface feeding. Light spinning and fly tackle is effective for targeting the surface-feeders. For best results, try 1/2 oz. Hogy Epoxy minnows, Jigfish, and sparsely-tied Clouser minnows and Surf Candies.
Offshore fishing has been difficult due to rough waters, but fishing is productive if you can make it out. Sea bass, grouper, and grunts have been actively feeding between 6-20 miles. Plenty of amberjack are still being caught, in addition to a lot of barracuda.
King fishing is improving along the beach and will hopefully stay that way through the coming weeks.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that spanish, blues, and false albacore have been biting along the beach and out to 2-3 miles. Most of them have been caught by trolling #0 spoons on planers and trolling weights or by casting to breaking fish with small jigs.
There have been some big kings following the schools of smaller fish and picking off some of these smaller fish as they’re being reeled in.
Red drum are biting around the inlets and nearshore rocks and ledges, with slots and over-slots (40″ and up) making up most of the action. They’re hitting both live and cut mullet.
Daniel, of Seaview Fishing Pier, reports that big spanish have been pulled in on Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs. There have been a few bluefish mixed with the spanish.
Bottom fishermen have landed red drum on cut and live baits.
King fishing has been hit or miss.
Simm, of Surf City Pier, reports that fishing has been a little slow overall. Three kings were pulled in on one day using bluefish on a traditional setup, but only 5-6 kings overall have been caught.
There have been some nice pompano and a few flounder for those fishing baits on the bottom. Red and black drum have also been landed. The reds have been small, and while the blacks have been keepers, they’re more rare.
Any spot being caught are only about the size of your hand.
The blues and spanish are biting well for those casting metal jigs.
Kirsten, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that anglers are pulling in blues and spanish off of Gotcha plugs and metal jigs.
Bottom fishermen are hooking a few black drum and flounder.
Some small spots were hooked early last week, but they have been quiet since.
